Marks & Spencer Somerset Oak Matured Vintage 2015 (Sheppy’s)

This is the last cider review of a series of ciders bought from Marks & Spencer in Wroclaw. In addition, it is another cider produced for Marks & Spencer by Sheppy’s.Company: Sheppy’s Cider Place of Origin: Taunton, Somerset, UKApples: fresh, ripe British bittersweet ciders from a single year’s harvestSweetness as per label: medium dryABV: 7.4%Package type: 500ml amber glass bottle with crown capRecommended type of glass: pint glass, snifter or white wine glass

Aroma/Nose: on the nose flavours of barnyard, overripe and fermented apples with a light vinegary touch, Some floral notes perceivable as well.

Taste: it starts slightly watery with a low level of sweetness and low acidity. The mid-palate is moderately astringent with a smoky note, light touch of wood and overripe apples. The finish is dry with a lingering taste of plum butter, also called powidl and light bitterness. Alcohol is not perceivable despite high ABV.

Overall: Kill me, but I can’t help it. I enjoyed having the Somerset Oak Matured Vintage 2015 although, similarly to other ciders produced for Marks&Spencer, it was made from apple juice with other additives. I was especially fond of the extremely good tasting plum butter/powidl lingering aftertaste. Just a note that I read the label before opening the bottle, so I was aware of the ingredients and was really sensitised to them. But I couldn’t get any weird flavour. I simply loved this cider. I think it would pair well with sweet pancakes. 4.5/6

Hi, Sarah from Sheppy’s Cider here. Thank you for this great review – it’s always lovely to hear when people enjoy our ciders, especially around the world!

One point to note: we always make our ciders from pure apples that are homegrown (or locally sourced) that are pressed, fermented and bottled here on our farm, not from concentrateIf the label says other wise then I’d be really interested to see a copy of it if possible – it could be a translating error if the label has been printed in Polish.